THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 11th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXLIII
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Frontstretch sends its well wishes, prayers, and support to all our Southern U.S., Joplin, MO and Western Massachusetts fans affected by the swath of tornadoes over the past few weeks. To help out recovery efforts, text "GIVE" to 80888 to donate $10 towards disaster relief efforts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts and Missouri through the Salvation Army.
Top Ten Free Agency Deals Carl Edwards Turned Down
by the Frontstretch Staff
Today's Top News
by Phil Allaway
Two Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Employees Arrested for Pot Trafficking
On Tuesday, the Huntersville Police Department executed a drug bust at a local residence. Upon searching the house, police found 10.5 pounds of marijuana that had been shipped to North Carolina from California, drugs they say were shipped with the intent to be sold.
As a result of the bust, police arrested two men, 40-year old Trevor Lysne and 27-year old Jerome Frey for their roles. Lysne is the front tire changer on Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42 Target Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series, while Frey is identified as a Mechanic at the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing shop and a part-time racer.
Lysne was charged with marijuana trafficking, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver, and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of distributing marijuana. Frey was also charged with marijuana trafficking and possession with intent to sell and deliver.
Both men are currently out of jail on bonds; Lysne is out on a $30,000 bond, while Frey is out on a $25,000 bond.
Regardless of guilt, both men have already been fired from Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Team co-owner Chip Ganassi released a tersely-worded statement on Wednesday.
"I am extremely disappointed with the news that we received about two of our crew members," Ganassi wrote. "We have a zero tolerance policy in this organization and effective immediately both individuals' employment has been terminated."
Lysne and Frey's alleged actions are also in violation of NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy. Late Wednesday evening, after Ganassi had already released his statement on the matter, NASCAR officially announced that Lysne and Frey have been suspended indefinitely for their conduct in violation of the Policy. Said policy states that participants not only cannot use illegal drugs, but they cannot possess, acquire, sell and/or distribute them.
Pocono Races Shortened to 400 Miles for 2012
In a move that has a lot of people in the garage quite pleased, Pocono Raceway announced Wednesday that its two Sprint Cup Series races will be shortened from 200 laps (500 miles) to 160 laps (400 miles) for the 2012 season. This will end a streak of 68 consecutive Sprint Cup races scheduled for 500 miles at the scalene triangle.
Track officials are confident that the shortened distance will increase fan enjoyment and make for a better race.
"The 400-mile distance will make NASCAR racing at Pocono even more exciting," said Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway's President and CEO. "Race strategies will change, fuel mileage calculations will be altered and I firmly believe that our fans will be treated to outstanding racing at the 400-mile distance."
Such a move was something that Dr. Joseph Mattioli would have never given a second thought to doing. Just last year, Mattioli stated that he liked the 500-mile length and that Pocono's Cup races would remain that way for the foreseeable future. However, Mattioli announced his retirement from the day-to-day operations of Pocono Raceway last weekend, putting his grandchildren, including Igdalsky, in charge.
Kurt Busch to Sub for Brad Keselowski in Zippo 200
Penske Racing announced on Wednesday that Kurt Busch will be behind the wheel of the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge in Saturday's Zippo 200, replacing Brad Keselowski. A statement from the team indicated that it was simply a precautionary move, one that was easily made since Busch would already be at the track anyway.
Busch is quite excited about returning to the Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen.
"I have always tried to be a great team player throughout my career and I am happy to help out our Penske Racing team over on the Nationwide side this weekend at Watkins Glen," Busch said. "With the incredible effort Brad Keselowski put forth last weekend in winning Sunday's race in Pocono, we think it's a smart move to let him focus on just the Sprint Cup action this weekend."
Of course, just because Penske Racing is going to a "replacement driver" doesn't mean that they're picking up scrubs. In Busch, they not only have a Cup Series champion at the ready, but they also have a past winner of the Zippo 200. Busch, in a Penske Racing ride held off a substantial challenge from Robby Gordon to win the 200-mile Saturday race in 2006. That battle is probably best remembered for Gordon literally driving off the track, then bumping Busch in the Inner Loop on the final lap in one of the most exciting races of the entire season. However, Busch only has 11 career starts in the series, and none since 2007. Therefore, he has no experience with the current Dodge Challenger.
Entry List Update:
Note: These entries are accurate as of Wednesday night. However, they are still subject to change.
Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen: 46 cars entered
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 37 - Scott Speed for Front Row Motorsports/MaxQ Motorsports
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 60 - Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 77 - P.J. Jones for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Driver Changes:
No. 32 - Andrew Ranger is in the seat, replacing Jason White. Ranger will be making his Sprint Cup Series debut on Sunday; the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver has 13 wins in 45 career starts in that series.
No. 35 - Dave Blaney is in the seat, replacing Geoff Bodine. Blaney was given the option of qualifying a second car after being replaced in Tommy Baldwin Racing's primary, the No. 36. No word on whether he'll be allowed to complete the full distance.
No. 36 - Ron Fellows is in the seat, replacing Dave Blaney. Fellows, a Canadian road course ringer for decades in the Cup Series, has a best finish of second at Watkins Glen and ran with this team last year. He has competed in all but one Watkins Glen Cup race at this facility since 1998.
No. 38 - Terry Labonte is in the seat, replacing Travis Kvapil. Labonte is brought on board for a one-race deal; his past champion's provisional ensures the car will make the race.
No. 46 - Andy Pilgrim returns to the seat, replacing Erik Darnell. The former Grand-Am driver, with seven wins to his credit in that series is making his second start for the team this season; he was 26th at Infineon in June.
No. 51 - Boris Said returns to the seat, replacing Landon Cassill. The Californian road racer, armed with 42 career Cup Series starts ran 28th at Infineon in June, paired with the same Phoenix Racing organization.
No. 77 - P.J. Jones returns to the seat, replacing Scott Wimmer. This effort is a start-and-park car partnered with Robby Gordon's No. 7.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 7 - Robby Gordon for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 35 - Dave Blaney for Tommy Baldwin Racing
No. 37 - Scott Speed for Front Row Motorsports / MaxQ Motorsports
No. 38 - Terry Labonte for Front Row Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 46 - Andy Pilgrim for Whitney Motorsports
No. 50 - T.J. Bell for MAKE Motorsports
No. 55 - J.J. Yeley for Front Row Motorsports
No. 60 - Mike Skinner for Germain Racing
No. 66 - Michael McDowell for HP Racing, LLC
No. 77 - P.J. Jones for Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 87 - Joe Nemechek for NEMCO Motorsports
Nationwide Series Zippo 200: 48 cars entered (season-high)
Drivers Ineligible to Earn Points:
No. 7 - Jimmie Johnson for JR Motorsports
No. 18 - Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 22 - Kurt Busch for Penske Racing
No. 30 - James Buescher for Turner Motorsports
No. 33 - Paul Menard for Kevin Harvick, Inc.
No. 41 - Tomy Drissi for Rick Ware Racing
No. 60 - Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 71 - Chris Cook for Rick Ware Racing
Driver Changes:
No. 5 - Ron Fellows is in the seat, replacing Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The road course ringer, who has won previously at this racetrack in the Series is signed for a one-race deal.
No. 13 - Dan Brode is in the seat, replacing Jennifer Jo Cobb.
No. 22 - Kurt Busch is in the seat, replacing Sam Hornish, Jr. Busch will be subbing for teammate Brad Keselowski while Keselowski recovers from his ankle injury.
No. 23 - Alex Kennedy returns to the seat, replacing Robert Richardson, Jr.
No. 30 - James Buescher returns to the seat, replacing Mikey Kile.
No. 33 - Paul Menard returns to the seat, replacing Austin Dillon.
No. 39 - Casey Roderick is in the seat, replacing Joey Gase. This will be Roderick's first career Nationwide Series start.
No. 40 - Josh Wise is in the seat, replacing Charles Lewandoski.
No. 41 - Tomy Drissi is in the seat, replacing Matt Carter. The road course ringer will run the distance.
No. 47 - Charles Lewandoski returns to the seat, replacing Brian Keselowski. Lewandoski will likely start-and-park this car.
No. 52 - Dan Clarke will be in the seat, replacing Tim Schendel. This will be Clarke's first career Nationwide Series start.
No. 64 - Jason Bowles returns to the seat, replacing David Reutimann.
No. 67- J.R. Fitzpatrick returns to the seat, replacing Andrew Ranger.
No. 70 - Dennis Setzer returns to the seat, replacing Scott Wimmer.
No. 71 - Chris Cook is in the seat, replacing Carl Long.
No. 97 - An unknown driver will be in the seat, replacing Kevin Conway.
Drivers who must qualify on speed:
No. 5 - Ron Fellows for JR Motorsports
No. 13 - Dan Brode for JJC Racing
No. 16 - Trevor Bayne for Roush Fenway Racing
No. 20 - Joey Logano for Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 21 - Tim George, Jr. for Richard Childress Racing
No. 41 - Tomy Drissi for Rick Ware Racing
No. 42 - Tim Andrews for Key Motorsports
No. 44 - Jeff Green for TriStar Motorsports (Guaranteed to start via the Past Champions' Provisional)
No. 46 - Chase Miller for Key Motorsports
No. 47 - Charles Lewandoski for Key Motorsports
No. 49 - Mark Green for Jay Robinson Racing
No. 50 - Unknown driver for R3 Motorsports
No. 53 - Andrew Ranger for NDS Racing
No. 64 - Jason Bowles for Rusty Wallace Racing
No. 67 - J.R. Fitzpatrick for Go Canada Racing
No. 71 - Chris Cook for Rick Ware Racing
No. 75 - Johnny Chapman for Rick Ware Racing
No. 97 - Unknown driver for NEMCO Motorsports
Withdrawn:
No. 55 - Brett Rowe for Faith Motorsports
No. 74 - Mike Harmon for Harmon Motorsports
Unknown Number - Marcos Ambrose for Richard Petty Motorsports
Izod IndyCar Series MoveThatBlock.com 225: 27 cars entered
Driver Changes:
No. 19 - Alex Lloyd returns to the seat, replacing Sebastien Bourdais.
No. 22 - Tomas Scheckter is in the seat, replacing Simon Pagenaud. Scheckter will be subbing for the injured Justin Wilson, who is out indefinitely with a back injury.
No. 30 - Pippa Mann is in the seat, replacing Bertrand Baguette.
Entries:
No. 06 - James Hinchcliffe for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 2 - Oriol Servia for Newman/Haas Racing
No. 3 - Helio Castroneves for Team Penske
No. 4 - J.R. Hildebrand for Panther Racing
No. 5 - Takuma Sato for KV Racing Technologies
No. 6 - Ryan Briscoe for Team Penske
No. 7 - Danica Patrick for Andretti Autosport
No. 9 - Scott Dixon for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 - Dario Franchitti for Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 12 - Will Power for Team Penske
No. 14 - Vitor Meira for A.J. Foyt Racing
No. 18 - James Jakes for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 19 - Alex Lloyd for Dale Coyne Racing
No. 22 - Tomas Scheckter for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 24 - Ana Beatriz for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 26 - Marco Andretti for Andretti Autosport
No. 27 - Mike Conway for Andretti Autosport
No. 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay for Andretti Autosport
No. 30 - Pippa Mann for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No. 34 - Sebastian Saavedra for Conquest Racing
No. 38 - Graham Rahal for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 59 - EJ Viso for KV Racing Technologies
No. 67 - Ed Carpenter for Sarah Fisher Racing
No. 77 - Alex Tagliani for Sam Schmidt Motorsports
No. 78 - Simona de Silvestro for HVM Racing
No. 82 - Tony Kanaan for KV Racing Technologies
No. 83 - Charlie Kimball for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing
Absent:
No. 17 - Martin Plowman for AFS Racing
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Hey Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
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What's Vexing Vito will return next week.
Times, They Are A-Changing At Pocono Raceway
Shakedown Session
by Brody Jones
The track claims this move was made to add excitement for fans, but it's really more of a sign of track management acknowledging that Pocono is just not a suitable track for a 500-mile race. A vocal number of people have decried the fact that Pocono's distances are just too long. Of course, these same fans have also said that Pocono is undeserving of two dates on the NASCAR schedule as well due to what has been perceived as boring racing. That's not going to change - the track's two dates are secure long-term due mainly to the fact it's located outside the #1 television market in America - but the fact remains that Pocono can no longer justify holding 500-mile races on a track that looks like it was designed by a five-year-old on PCP. 400 miles is a much more reasonable distance, ensuring the race will be run in about three hours (if it's rain free).
In the big picture, cutting the length of racing likely won't change much at Pocono in terms of competition. The race has become mostly a fuel-mileage duel, and was already before fuel mileage races became the norm in NASCAR. And while shorter races might mean the race will end sooner, perhaps becoming a short-term boon to ticket sales will this really, truly solve what seems like a never-ending list of complaints about Pocono? Probably not. Fans, perhaps justifiably so, will complain that the races there are boring, the cars get too far spread out and there's not a great deal of passing. Granted, Sunday's race was exciting in the closing laps with Brad Keselowski, broken ankle, sore back, sore feet and all, doggedly fighting off a hard-charging Kyle Busch for the victory. But the track configuration, perhaps the biggest problem of all in preventing passing will not be touched. The same fans who detest Pocono will continue to loathe Pocono regardless of what the track does with its distance.
The question at the end of the day is will other, casual NASCAR fans who don't grasp the outright quirkiness of Pocono be turned back on by a race that's 100 miles less? Brandon Igdalsky might have a harder sell on that than he thinks.
Brody Jones is a Website Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
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The Critic's Annex: Honda Indy 200 (or 191) at Mid-Ohio
by Phil Allaway
On Wednesday, ESPN announced that they have reached a deal with the Izod IndyCar Series that will see the Indianapolis 500 continue to be broadcast live on ABC through 2018. That will mark 54 consecutive years of coverage (33 of those being live telecasts) of the race on ABC. In addition, ABC will continue to televise four additional races during the Izod IndyCar Series season.
In addition, ESPN announced that starting next season, there will be live streaming of onboard cameras available during ESPN's five Izod IndyCar Series telecasts at espn3.com. Such a setup recalls ESPN's simulcasts of some races (Ex: 1995 Pepsi 400) back in the mid-1990's, when the regular feed would air on ESPN while an all-in car feed would air on ESPN2. Hopefully, this is the beginning of better promotion of Izod IndyCar Series races by ESPN and a better relationship in general. Many fans were clamoring for IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard to strip ESPN of their rights to the series due to a complete lack of promotion and indifferent broadcasts. That has not come to pass. In fact, Bernard seems to be very high on the continued partnership between the Izod IndyCar Series and ESPN, especially due to ESPN's international reach.
However, I am particularly looking forward to the in-car cameras being available for streaming on espn3.com. I can't wait to check that out when it starts up early next season, possibly (if ESPN ends up televising the same five races next year) at St. Petersburg in March.
On to the critique.
Versus' coverage started off with IndyCar Central. Compared to normal, it seemed to be a little light on content. Firestone Indy Lights did not accompany the series to Mid-Ohio (surprisingly, they were the headlining division in the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres on the Streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec at the same time this race was being run). As a result, there was no additional programming.
There was a standard recap of the previous event (the Edmonton Indy) and a piece where the drivers that were placed on probation after the race (Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and Alex Tagliani) reacted to their punishment. Robin Miller also gave his input on the penalties (basically, that they were nice to have, but levied way too late). I tend to agree with his assessment of the situation.
There was a feature on Will Power and his wife, Liz. The story here is that Liz was Power's PR minion when he was with Walker Racing (then under the Team Australia banner). Likely as a result of her position with the team at the time, she refused to be anything more than the consummate professional around Power. However, Power eventually wore her down after he left Walker's team and a romance began, culminating with their marriage last year. Power is a bit of a quirky person away from the track, and it shows. If anything, Power came off as kind of shy and very bashful. I guess the feature could be best described as a genuine moment.
Mid-Ohio is the home track for the Rahals (even though their hometown is closer to Cleveland, which used to host races at Burke Lakefront Airport), so to mark the 50th anniversary of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Versus saw fit to air a piece where both Bobby and Graham Rahal talked about their memories of racing at the Ohio road course.
In the race itself, I noticed a few different things. One, Bob Jenkins made a couple of really silly mistakes early on. First, he confused the distance of the race (in miles) with the number of laps in the event. Then, he mistook Marco Andretti for his father, Michael. Upon correcting a graphical error during a round of stops under yellow, Wally Dallenbach, Jr. called Jenkins on his errors. Ouch.
Two, Versus decided to only do one Through the Field during the race instead of two or three. However, they chose to cover everyone during that one Through the Field. It took something like seven laps to accomplish under green, but they did it. That is a first for Versus (or anyone, for that matter), but it was good to see.
Thirdly, I noticed a lot of focus on the frontrunners in the event, regardless of the amount of actual racing for position. This philosophy was not good to see because it masked a series of good runs. For example, KV Racing Technologies teammates Takuma Sato and Tony Kanaan finished fourth and fifth. Outside of that full field Through the Field, they were all but not mentioned on the telecast. Everything was focused on Scott Dixon, James Hinchcliffe (before his Lap 62 spin), Dario Franchitti and Will Power.
Sadly, such an approach bores me. It doesn't make the race exciting at all. I know that the Izod IndyCar Series doesn't have anywhere near the fanbase of NASCAR these days, but all the drivers out there do have fans. The series has understood that there would be a day where they couldn't depend on Danica Patrick anymore. Heck, they sent out this long questionnaire via e-mail last year to members of IndyCar Nation where they judged awareness of all the drivers in the series except Patrick.
In future races (Versus' next one is in three weeks at Infineon Raceway), the network needs to cover the field more thoroughly. Focusing on three or four drivers just doesn't get the job done.
Post-race coverage was somewhat typical for Versus. Viewers were provided with six post-race driver interviews (plus one interview with winner Scott Dixon's wife, Emma), along with checks of the unofficial results and point standings before the network left to go to horse racing from Saratoga Racecourse.
Generally, the race itself was rather staid. There was not all that much action and the double-file restarts necessitated a move in which all starts (not just the original start) were on the flat-out stretch from the Keyhole (Turn 2) to Turn 4, instead of on the pit straight. Versus' booth didn't really make the race sound all that exciting, and that is a shame. They've still got a couple of opportunities to improve, though. However, next weekend's race in New Hampshire is the fourth of ABC's five races, so Versus will have to wait to redeem themselves.
I hope you enjoyed this look at Versus' coverage of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Stay tuned for more race telecast critiques next week here in the Frontstretch Newsletter.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer and the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Frontstretch Line of the Week
Mike Neff: I thought it would have been a lot more fun if Kurt would have rung that towel out on Jimmie's head.
Summer Dreyer: It would have been reminiscent of Milka, Danica, and the towel.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
MPM2Nite: Quit Your Whining
Fantasy Insider: Busch Could Pull Road Course Sweep at The Glen
by Brett Poirier
"It Pays Too Good:" Mark Green On The Start-And-Park Addiction, Disrespect & More
as told to Mike Neff
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Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device.
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1994, qualifying for the Busch Grand National Series Fay's 150 at Watkins Glen was rained out. A rather convoluted system was employed in order to set the starting lineup. Multiple drivers were forced to share cars in order to compete in the event. Brett Bodine, who was sponsored by Fay's (after two buyouts, former Fay's Drug Stores are now Rite-Aids), was forced to have Tom Peck start his No. 51 Chevrolet. Future Busch North Series champion Andy Santerre was forced to borrow a fellow competitors' car in order to race. Who did he borrow his car from?
Check back Friday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Wednesday's Answer:
Q: In 1989, Rusty Wallace dominated the Bud at the Glen to claim his second win at the then-2.428 mile seven turn circuit. However, he had a scare just after a pit stop. What happened?
A: As Wallace was exiting pit road, the No. 41 Ford of Ted Thomas spun right in front of Wallace's Kodiak No. 27. Wallace had to take evasive action in order to avoid the spinning Thomas, but was able to continue without an issue. For Thomas, it was the end of the day because his year-old Thunderbird simply could not restart following the spin. The wreck can be seen towards the beginning of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
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Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Summer Dreyer
-- In Case You Missed It by Brett Poirier
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: Watkins Glen by Brett Poirier
In place of Mike, Brett is here with a preview of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races this weekend in Watkins Glen.
Tearing Apart The Trucks by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has a special interview with Rick Crawford about potentially bringing the series to his racetrack down in Mobile, Alabama. Hear what the veteran has to say on the issue and get a sneak peek at his future racing plans.
Holding A Pretty Wheel by Amy Henderson
Goin' Green by Garrett Horton
Garrett returns with more commentary and insight.
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